Kimi to Boku
by tinkerbell0403
Summary: Shin was almost yelling, "Why can't you trust me? You know how you feel--" "I don't want to be a replacement for 'her!" She yelled back, choking back tears. This sense of deja vu was killing her. First Gokusen fic, NOT SHINKUMI! R&R appreciated
1. Chapter 1: Ice Cream, Boredom, and Girls

Like any other day after school, Sawada Shin and the other 3-D guys were hanging out.

Not exactly like any other day after school, they were not really doing anything in particular, waiting for something to pop up, all of them feeling extraordinarily bored.

Not exactly like any other day after school either; Shin was treating the others to ice-cream in a rather expensive ice cream parlor.

"Uwah! That's it; my brain's going to die!" Uchi wailed as he plonked his head onto the table, narrowly missing Kuma's waffle.

Minami yawned, "As if you have one. I can't believe it. For once we're bored since Yankumi came along."

Noda chirped in, his head resting on one hand, "God knows what _family events_ Yankumi had to attend. I need some fun. Let's go camp outside Yamada Private Girls' School…"

"Are you joking? Those girls are the most stuck-up prissy princesses around! And none of them are even worth looking at, right Kuma?" Uchi smacked Kuma across the head.

Kuma looked up, disrupted from his record-breaking ice cream consumption speed, "Huh?"

Minami face-palmed, "He's not even listening! Ahhhh!" Minami threw himself onto Shin. "Shin-chan, call up your sister and arrange a goukon or something!"

Shin gave an appreciative eye-roll. He was listening to the entire conversation without much interest, "Shut up…"

Girls? None of the girls nowadays appealed to him. None of them could stand up for themselves, except Yankumi. He laughed silently in his head. If only she wasn't a teacher…

The other boys continued to rattle on and on about which girls' high had the best chicks. Shin yawned and took a sip of his ice coffee. He started looking around the parlor.

Near their table sat a mother with two young kids. The three were laughing about something one of the kids had just said, and then the mother wiped her children's cheeks clean with a loving smile. Shin's eyes moved on. A young couple sat in a deep corner, making out. Shin rolled his eyes and looked on.

By the windows, sat a girl around their age, or slightly older, but she wasn't in school uniform. There was an air about her that interested Shin. She was looking down at the menu, the blond highlights in her short, slightly spiked hair standing out amongst the black. She was wearing a leather jacket over a white T-shirt, a dog tag sort of necklace hanging from her neck. She had long, slender legs, unnatural of Japanese girls. A charm bracelet hung from one of her wrist, which was supporting her head. He couldn't see her face clearly, and didn't get a chance even when the waiter approached her, as she was sitting with her back to the light.

Something clicked in his mind. _Why am I so interested in her?_

He shook his head. Nevermind. He continued to swirl his coffee around mindlessly. The other guys were now playing some weird game which he had no interest in.

_If only Yankumi was here…_

He hasn't told anyone about his secret addiction to Yankumi's everything. Her spirit was something different from the other girls'. Somehow, he was looking forward to graduation. After graduation, he wouldn't be her student. After graduation, he could finally ask her out. After graduation…

"Oi, Shin, you're smiling mindlessly to yourself," Noda's voice broke Shin out of his trance. He looked up and saw the 4 boys' faces hovering near his, devilish expressions on their faces.

"Is it… a girl?" Minami had a lovey-dovey expression on. Almost immediately, the others launched their assaults.

"C'mon Shin! Who is it? Which school?" Uchi latched himself onto Shin's arm.

"What?! I didn't say anything?! Let go!!" Shin pushed Uchi off, but were helpless under the attack of 4 very persistent boys.

"Fashion sense? Style? Hair?"

"Bra size?"

"What?!" Shin stared at Minami with the most WTF expression he could muster. "There's no girl damnnit, ge'roff me!"

When he looked up, he saw the girl from just now looking at him. Well, all the restaurant patrons were looking at them, but she was the first one Shin saw. When she met Shin's eye, she rolled her eyes and looked back down, a small smirk playing at her lips.

Shin suddenly felt a shot of pleasure through his veins. It was a brief moment, but he saw her face. And she was looking at him. And she smiled.

He shook his head more violently this time. There was definitely something wrong with him today. Maybe it's cos Yankumi wasn't here.

The others continued to throw random guesses. Shin just put on his usual bored expression, and observed the girl by the window silently.

A while later, a man in a tux with a pot belly showed up and walked over to the girl's table. They shook hands, and the man laid out some papers in front of her. They talked for a while, and the girl handed him a thick wad of cash. They shook hands again, and the man left. The girl finished the rest of her melting ice cream, and looked up to meet Shin's gaze again.

She smirked again. Shin raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.

Shaking her head, she picked up her black leather sling bag and walked out of the parlor, the heels of her boots clicking across the tiling. His eyes followed her out. She didn't turn back.

"So that was her…"

Shin flinched. The others were staring after the girl too.

"What the hell?"

"Oh, the glory of first love!" Noda went into dramatic mode. Shin sighed and finished his coffee. He left a deck of notes on the table and stood up. "I'm heading back now. Bye."

As he strode out of the parlor, he heard the others whispering behind him.

"Should we follow him to see if he went after that girl?" Kuma's voice was incapable at being soft.

Uchi snorted, "Naw, it's Shin. The day he's interested in someone is the day Kuma gets above 40 for an exam."

"Hey, minna," Shin could imagine the smirk on Noda's face. "Bet you 500 yen he's actually going for the girl…"

Shin walked out of the parlor. It was somehow uncomfortable for him to hear all those words now. He made his way home slowly, his thoughts wandering to the times he spent with Yankumi…

He was the first to discover her identity. He was the one who got to spend the most time with her. He even got invited for dinner. He just needed to get rid of the teacher-student bond that held him back from telling her.

He didn't notice when he reached his apartment. He walked up the stairs to his near-to-empty apartment. He remembered the time when Yankumi came here to cook dinner for him. He laughed at that memory.

He longed to see her now. Her cheery smile was drifting in and out of his mind, and he wanted to hear her voice cheering him on.

Sawada Shin flopped down on his bed, dreaming of a girl, like any other high school boy would.

--

**AN: Hey guys, my first attempt at a Gokusen fic. One thing first- I'm not even done with one season of the drama, I watched a tad of the anime, and have not touched the manga at all. I definitely WILL when I finish my exams. It's definitely one of my fav dramas/stories/manga of all time. R&R yea! Shin is the love! I may or may not finish this fic, fyi, but I do appreciate reviews :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Snow Globes and Cream Puffs

"Sawada! SAWADA!"

Shin rubbed his eyes and raised his head. The 3rd substitute teacher in the week was a dirty old man who would stare after their English teacher, Shizuka-sensei. He was now glaring at Shin while the rest of the class went about their usual business.

"Sawada, what's the answer to this question?" He pointed to an all-too-easy sum on the board. Shin looked at his watch. _About time…_

He stood up, picked up his bag and walked up the stairs. He heard the rest of the class following him, hollering away.

"Hold on! What are you doing?! We're in the middle of class!" The teacher yelled from the hallway below.

Shin pointed to his watched, then pointed at the ceiling. The school bell rang precisely at that moment. He nodded at the teacher and walked off.

It was all so déjà vu. Suddenly Shin wanted some time alone. He started making his way to the gates.

"Oi, Shin, where're you going?" Noda shouted after him.

"Home. I'm feeling kinda sick,"

He made his way home, unnaturally observant that afternoon. He didn't notice the date, but from the looks of it, it must have been Valentine's or something. An amazing number of couples were out, one of them openly making out in front of a convenience store. Shin went in, grabbed his dinner, and nearly jogged home. The sight was making him sick to the stomach.

A moving truck was parked under his apartment block. He walked past the burly men carrying a small sofa up the stairs. He waited for them to go up before he made his way up the stairs. When he reached his door, he heard a very prominent crash from above.

"Shit! Damnnit, be more careful!" A young female voice shouted angrily. He raised an eyebrow, amused, and walked up another flight of stairs to the apartment above. The door was wide open, with glass scattered from the hallway into the room.

_Why the hell am I bothering? Well, there's nothing else to do anyway…_

As everyone knows, his dominant expression is the 'I'm-too-bored-amuse-me' expression, but right now he had one eyebrow raised, the 'hmm-what's-going-on' expression. It was strange, but Shin just felt a strange pulling force towards the door.

_Guess I'm going haywire thinking of her too much._

He stood by the door and leaned on the doorframe for a better look. The room was painted a light gray, with modern looking furniture, and a funky chandelier. A glossy electric guitar stood in a corner, boasting its price. The room, was what usual kids would call 'cool'.

A familiar figure came into sight, with short, highlighted hair and the not-so-usual long legs which were now in perfect view with her mini-shorts on. She stood in the middle of the room, instructing the men rather irritably where to place her stuff. Then she turned around, and met Shin face on.

She had a slightly oval face, stray locks of hair falling into her face. Her nose was just slightly off-centre, and under her eyebrows sat a pair of strong, hazel eyes. Her tank top hugged her near-perfect figure, with a sports jacket thrown on casually over the white tank top. Her head tilted to a side when she saw Shin.

"Haven't we met somewhere before?" She asked.

Shin raised a hand lazily, "Ice cream parlor."

"Ah yes," she gave a nod of recognition. She strode up to him and extended a hand. Despite her legs, she was still a full head shorter than he was. "Saruwatari Rika."

"Sawada Shin."

There was another, lighter, thud. Rika cursed under her breath.

"Shit. Those assholes don't know how to do anything. Anyway," she pointed at the ceiling, then at the floor. "Do you live here?"

Shin pointed at the floor, "Right below."

Her lips pulled into a bored line, "Guess you won't getting any peace for a while. Sorry 'bout that."

"'S alright…" A mover came along holding a stack of decorations. Out of the corner of his eye, Shin spotted an expensive looking snow globe sitting on top of the tilting pile. Just as it reached the edge and was about to topple, he reached out and grabbed it with ease, right beside the girl's head.

"Ah! Gomenasai!" the mover shouted, causing the amazing pile to wobble some more, and Shin caught the other items which came tumbling down.

"Aw damnnit just go in already!" Rika gave the mover a death glare. He moved on without saying anything else. "Sorry 'bout that, thanks anyway."

"No problem. Where do I leave these?"

Rika took them out of his hands, "Thanks, I'll take these for now. Um, I'll talk to you at a better time, okay? See you around…"

She winked at Shin. He waved back and watched her walk away, before going downstairs, kicking away some glass pieces on the way. They tinkled down the stairs.

The entire afternoon, Shin was withstanding random thuds, crashes, and even a boom once. He almost laughed imagining the scenario upstairs. He put some classic rock on from his run-down stereo set, and laid down on his sofa-bed.

He woke up abruptly when a loud knocking came at his door. He rubbed his eyes and looked groggily at his watch. It read 7pm. He had fallen asleep for 2 hours? Damned.

The knocking came again. He pushed himself out of bed, yawning, "Who's there?"

"Rika!"

He lugged himself to the door, one hand ruffling his messy hair, the other in his back pocket. He opened the door.

"Heyo, just thought I'd drop by and pass you a bit of dessert. Thanks for the rescue just now, that snow globe was from my friend," She smiled and held up a white, cardboard takeout box.

"Thanks…" He took it over. Before he realized what was happening, he asked, "Would you like to come in?"

Almost immediately, a mental voice spoke. _What the hell did you do that for?_

But Rika had already stepped inside and seated herself cross legged by the coffee table. Shrugging, Shin closed the door and brought the box back to the table. Inside were 4 small cream puffs.

"Some idiot gave these to me today, and though they are hell delicious, he gave me a hell big stack too. Anyway, you can have these."

"Thanks," Shin took one out and bit down. "Holy shit, these are good!"

Rika laughed, "Thanks for the compliment." She looked around the room. "You're not an avid decorator, are you?"

He ignored the question. She got up and walked around, his eyes following her.

"You're from Shirokin?" She pointed to his rack of clothes. He nodded lightly.

"Cool… one of my friends is dating someone from there…" She returned to the coffee table, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her jacket pocket. She stuck one between her lips and held out the box to Shin. He shook his head.

"Smoke doesn't bother you, does it?" She said, pulling out a lighter this time. He shrugged, "I live among people who do it all day."

She smiled again and lit the cigarette, and Shin noticed the ring on her finger.

"Vivienne Westwood?" He blurted out in surprise. His once saw one of Minami's many girlfriends wearing a Vivienne Westwood ring.

She blinked, and looked at her hand, laughing, "You recognize this? It's pretty old…"

"My friend's girlfriend used to have a Vivienne Westwood ring too."

"Cool," She stood up. "Right, I'm going back now. Oyasumi."

"Bye," She stopped at the door and turned around, holding a finger to the corner of her mouth. "You have whipped cream here, by the way."

She was out of the door before Shin could touch his face.

Like the first time they met, there was an air around her that attracted him.

--

**AN: Not much inspiration this time round, but I planned out this entire fic during the boring English class this morning. Excuse the language for younger readers, but hell if you read Gokusen you won't be particular about this anyway . Flood me with reviews people!**


	3. Chapter 3: Yamada!

Shin woke up unnaturally early the next day. He pulled out the last cream puff from the fridge and ate it in a few bites as he headed down the stairs. There, he spotted a new girl taking her bicycle from the parking area and heading out. If not for the prominent highlights in her hair, he wouldn't have noticed.

"Oi! Saruwatari-san!"

He walked briskly over. She turned around and Shin almost couldn't recognize her. She didn't have the strong punk-style make up she had the night before. There was a tinge of pinkish lip gloss on her lips, but what struck him the most was her uniform.

It was similar to his, with a black blazer over a white shirt and a checkered skirt, but the standards of the schools were as different as diamonds and dirt.

"Yamada Private Girls' School?!"

"Ohaiyo, Sawada-san!" Rika smiled brightly. The heavy metal earrings on her ears were gone too. Anyone who saw her on the streets now would only recognize her as one of the excellent ladies from that prestigious, high-class school. "And yes, you seem shocked to see my uniform."

"You're from Yamada?!" He couldn't believe it. She was living alone, owned an electric guitar, had a cool apartment, and wore rock-star clothes. And yet she was one of the filthy rich, goody-two-shoes princesses that went to that school. He was missing a connection. It was like she was two persons.

"Yes I am," She laughed. "Shocked? Not many of my schoolmates know how I am in private; I'll like you to keep it a secret, yeah?"

"…sure…" Shin was at a loss for words. What should he say?

"Well, I'll be off now. See you around, Sawada-san!" She gave a cheery wave and zoomed off on her bike, leaving Shin standing, dazed.

--

Kuma, Uchi, Noda, and Minami were all staring intently at Shin.

Shin?

He was staring intently into space.

Minami whispered into Noda's ear, "Seriously, what do you think he's thinking about?"

Noda shrugged. Uchi stroked his chin, a perplexed expression on his face. And then his face suddenly lit up.

"I KNOW! It's…" He drew a woman's figure out with his hands. "From the other day!"

Kuma furrowed his brows. It wasn't like Shin to be having his head stuck in the air because of a girl. Actually, it had never happened before, ever. They had seen all kinds of expressions on Shin's face, everything apart from the face of a lovesick fool.

But the more he looked, the more the expression on Shin's face resembled that of a lovesick fool.

"Minna… do you think Shin looks a bit… lovesick?"

Minami whacked Kuma over the head, rolling his eyes. "Baka! It's his usual 'I'm-too-cool-too-care' expression! Remember all the times we tried to get him to go to a goukon?"

The four went into memories. Shin either passes on goukons, or has his signature bored look on. That time they went to a party with girls lying that they were from Eisho High, Shin was there with THE signature look, and had lots of fun afterwards seeing them screw up very badly. All of them facepalm-ed at that memory. Shin was the one with the most looks, and yet…

"Nevermind. Leaves more ladies to me!" Minami flipped his hair back, and received 3 whacks on the head after as a present.

Noda wasn't so sure. He had a theory, but he wasn't going to risk it. After all, it was just a theory, and he didn't want to push his luck.

Shin has been different ever since Yankumi came along. He didn't sleep in class that much anymore. He smiled more. He didn't miss school that much. That time they were spying on Yankumi's omiai, Shin was not his indifferent self. He was rather… irritated. And whenever there was news to do with Yankumi's love life, Shin's expression was one they'd never expected to see on his face.

But then again, Noda had to admit. School was definitely getting more fun with Yankumi here. He couldn't blame Shin for spacing out. He himself was missing Yankumi's presence.

Shin and Yankumi's relationship had never been normal. But then, could it be? Noda didn't really want to think of his friend in that way, but everything was laid out in front of him. Let's see, how did Yuta know Shin before anyone else? Yuta-kun was staying at Yankumi's home that night, so the only way Shin could have met Yuta-kun beforehand was if he went to Yankumi's house.

Noda shook his head. Nevermind, it wasn't his business anyway.

Minami jumped on the table in front of Shin and stared right into his face. Shin's eyes moved to meet Minami's.

"What?" he asked in his usual bored voice. Minami yelled and almost fell off the table.

"You're not dead?!" Minami yelled again, the others laughed. Shin rolled his eyes and looked away.

"Nee, Shin, what's up?" Noda squished himself beside Shin.

"Nothing," came Shin's simple reply. "School's boring."

"I agree," Kuma's hand shot up. "When's Yankumi coming back?"

"Don't know… Nee, Shin, can we go to your place today?" Noda asked.

"Why?"

"I'm too bored. And I feel like studying."

Kuma choked on his lunch, Minami's eyes widened, Uchi's jaw dropped, Shin raised an eyebrow.

"What?! Is it so surprising that I want to studying once in a while?"

"Yes." "Yes. "Yes." "Yes." Four replies came at once, perfectly synchronized.

Noda's shoulders slumped. Shin gave what was supposed to be a laugh, and shrugged. "It's alright, come over. Bring your own food though."

--

Later that afternoon, as the guys approached Shin's apartment block, there was a familiar person on a familiar bike, just getting off. Rika turned around. No surprise, Minami just took Kuma's candy bar, and hence began the big battle for the candy bar.

"Oh, Sawada!" She gave a hearty wave to the guys.

"Eh? Haven't we seen her somewhere before?" Noda raked his mind. Uchi was the first to remember. "OH! She's the one in the ice cream parlor the other day! The one that Shin was staring at!"

"Shut up…" Shin rolled his eyes. His cheeks were slightly hot, though he blamed the sun for that.

Rika barked a laugh, returning into her punk mode. "Alright, should I be honoured—"

"Oi! She's a Yamada!" Kuma shouted. Shin rolled his eyes, again.

"Yes I am, is there a problem with that?"

"But that day we saw you, you were like…"

"I'd rather you don't mention that to my schoolmates, thank you very much, blondie," Rika threw her bag over her shoulder and looked at Shin. "Introductions?"

"Noda, Kumai, Uchiyama, Minami."

"Nice to meet you all. Saruwatari Rika desu." She said in the perfect tone of a lady, and then bowed like a perfect lady. Minami wolf-whistled.

The next moment, Rika had Minami in a head lock, completely immobilized. "Try doing that again."

The others were too dazed to do anything. They couldn't believe a _girl _from _Yamada's _would be this good. They have never seen _any _girl who could move this fast and be this strong.

"Whoa," was all that Noda could say.

"Can't… Breathe!" Minami cried out in a strangled voice. Rika immediately let go and stepped away.

"See you around then, Sawada! Oh, Minami… right?" She stuck up a specific finger in his face. Minami's eyes widened completely. "See you around, Sawada…" She waved and walked up the steps without another word.

"Whoa."

Uchi scratched his head. "Nee, Shin, you're lucky, she is one big fish, a tough one to get too…"

"Whoa."

Minami, after a severe coughing fit, said, "I don't know what to say… If my girlfriend did that…."

"Whoa."

"…Stop saying 'whoa', Noda, you sound retarded."

"Awwww Shin-chan" Noda hooked an arm around Shin's shoulders. "You got your catch… why not just help us out?"

"There's no catch. Now shut the hell up…" Shin shook Noda's arm off. It was a mistake to let them come… a very bad mistake too.

--

**AN: Hey guys, yes 3****rd**** chapter here, I'm getting a real kick out of writing this fanfic…**


	4. Chapter 4: The Cafe

On Friday night, after chasing away the 3rd substitute teacher, Shin was wandering around his neighbourhood looking for something to eat. He was about two streets away from his apartment, when he spotted a small café with darkened windows. The front porch was bathed in a warm orange glow, and a sign declared in big, flourishing calligraphy the words "Blanc et Noir".

He pushed open the door and stepped in. The place was dimly lit by the wall lamps on the walls. Scattered around the room were small armchairs surrounding round tables and some larger sofas by the wall. Some college students were hanging out here and there, and a old man sat in a corner, holding a notepad. Facing the door was a stage, with a chair and a mic-stand on it.

Shin walked to the bar. A woman in her mid-twenties approached him.

"What's your order?"

He squinted in the dark to read the menu. "Just a sandwich, please."

The lady nodded and went to prepare his meal. Just then, there was sharp feedback from the mic, and he turned around to face the stage, wondering who was performing.

There, on the chair, sat Rika, in her black leather jacket, dog tag chains, short skirt with leggings, and her boots. Her hair was its usual mess with the highlights, and heavy metal earrings hung from the many piercings on her ears. There was a cigarette between her lips, which at that moment she snuffed out and threw it accurately into a wastepaper basket nearby.

"Konbanwa, minna, Rika desu!" She spoke into the mic. "Sorry for being MIA last week, I was busy moving into my new apartment. Anyway, here's my first song for the night, hope everyone enjoys it!" She glanced in Shin's direction, but he wasn't sure if she saw him.

She started strumming the first few bars of her song. The bartender came back with Shin's order, and he took the chance to ask her, "Who's the girl singing?"

"Ah, that's my sister, Rika-chan, she writes her own songs and perform here for some extra pocket money," the woman smiled as she looked at Rika on stage.

"Really?!" He saw an electric guitar in her room, but not an acoustic one, which she was using now.

"Many people think that she's a rock band vocalist, because of how she dresses and all, but she has a soft side. After all, she's a high school girl…" She shook her head and walked away.

Shin watched from where he was, slowing chewing his dinner. Her voice was more on the deep side, slightly husky, slightly smoky, but nevertheless captivating. Her songs were all very simple, not many high notes and techniques, but it was easy to listen to.

"…my next song is a new piece, titled 'Winter Never Ends', I hope everyone enjoys it." There was a round of applause, before she strummed out the opening bars.

_I won't cry anymore_

_But deep down inside_

_I'm broken_

_You don't know how_

_The things that you did_

_Have hurt me, no_

_And I can't seem to stop_

_Thinking bout you all the time……_

_You're just another passing season_

_Bringing joys and tears together_

_Leaving me_

_Dreaming, jaded, broken_

_You're just like the passing winter_

_But winter never seems to end_

_I used to stay up all night_

_Just smiling to myself_

_Remembering your smile_

_She must have felt the same_

_You're so close_

_But so out of reach_

_And I can't seem to stop_

_The bleeding in my heart…._

_You're just another passing season_

_Bringing joys and tears together_

_Giving me_

_Dreams, colours, heartaches_

_You're just like the passing storms_

_But the storm never seems to end_

_Why can't you just go_

_And leave me alone_

_Why can't you just leave_

_And let me be_

_Stop saying everything _

_If I don't mean anything_

_In your world_

_You're just another passing season_

_Bringing joys and tears together_

_Leaving me_

_Dreaming, jaded, broken_

_You're just like the passing winter_

_But winter never seems to end_

_You're just another passing winter_

_Giving me _

_A fire, warmth_

_And yet leaving me out in the cold_

_You're just another passing season_

_Bringing joys and tears together_

_You're just like the passing winter_

_But winter never seems to end_

_This winter_

_Never seems to end._

After she crooned the last notes, the crowd erupted into applause, and Shin joined in. She stood up, bowed, and walked off the mini stage. A few moments later she appeared at the bar.

"Nee, Ane, how was it?" She asked excitedly as the bartender handed her a glass of water.

"Good, as always, must you ask me every time?"

She shrugged and stuck out her tongue. She turned slightly and then spotted Shin seated there, still devouring his sandwich.

"Yo, Sawada! What are you doing here?" She asked, surprised.

"I was looking for someplace to have dinner, and then I came in here. Nice singing."

"Thanks…" The bartender came along, and looked at the two young people. "You two know each other?"

"Ane, he's the one who saved my snow globe, the one who lives in the apartment under mine."

"Ah, that's him?" She surveyed Shin. "Not bad, huh…"

Rika rolled her eyes. "Ane… come on…"

"I'm Rika's older sister, Riko desu. Nice to meet you, Sawada-kun." She extended a hand, and they shook hands quickly.

"Do you sing here every night?" Shin asked.

"No, only on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, I don't have time to come every night." She answered, wiping her forehead, which was almost covered in sweat. Shin took a pack of tissues out of the back pocket of his jeans and handed them to her.

"Arigatou… Ane, I'm going back now!" Rika called into the deeper parts of the bar.

"Be careful!"

She got up to go out, and Shin quickly followed her out, leaving the money on the bar counter. They walked back to the apartment mostly in silence, until Rika spoke up.

"So, what made you live alone? The don't-care parents, the you're-a-disgrace parents, or the force-you-to-study parents?"

"Eh?" Shin turned to look at her. She had somehow lit another cigarette and had an indifferent expression on her face.

"Well there's gotta be some reason why you're living alone, and since we're high-school people, the most likely reason is cos of parents. So, which type are you?"

"Why do you need to know?"

She shrugged. "Curious. Oh, your friends are pretty interesting."

He shook his head. "Don't remind me."

"Why not?" There was a hint of a smile on her face.

"They do the most embarrassing things at times. Sorry about the wolf-whistle."

"It's alright. Hey, I heard them talking about a goukon. My friends are coming tomorrow for a show, why not you bring yours too?"

"You're joking."

"No I'm not," she flicked some ash on the ground. "One of my friends is desperate for a boyfriend."

Shin sighed. "Okay, I'll ask 'em."

They reached the bottom of the stairs, and Shin stopped at his door.

"G'night then, sleep tight." She smiled before heading up the stairs.

--

**AN: I'm feeling emo all of a sudden. Don't ask why.**


	5. Chapter 5: The Goukon

Shin stood in front of his apartment, glancing at his watch every few seconds. Those bastards were late! They were ones who suggested the goukon and they were late. To think they sounded so enthusiastic this morning…

Noda: "Really? You're the best, Shin-chan!"

Shin: "She suggested it… Considering your attitudes the other day…"

Uchi: "Oh? Cool! Though I hope they're not the mainstream Yamada girls…"

Shin: "I don't think Saruwatari hangs out with the mainstream people."

Kuma: "Oh. I got it. How's the food at that café?"

Shin: "……. It's ok."

Minami's reaction was the most awesome.

Minami: "Damned this is so good! Need to shower… where's my cologne? Damned where's my best shirt…"

Shin: "…. See you."

Just as he was checking his watch again, someone coughed beside him. Shin looked up to find the four boys dressed to kill.

He had never understood Noda's fashion sense, but he still looked good with a weird patterned sweater. Uchi was wearing a white shirt with a vest thrown carelessly over, and a tie to complete the look. Minami had on a long sleeved white T-shirt inside and a black short-sleeved shirt over the T-shirt. Kuma was his usual self, only caring about the food served, and nothing else.

Compared to them, Shin found himself rather underdressed. He was just wearing a black long sleeved shirt and jeans.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go! Lead the way, General Sawada!"

Shin rolled his eyes and walked on.

"Nee, Shin, have you met her friends before?" Uchi asked, catching up to him.

"No, I only found out that she performs there last night."

Noda showed up on his other side, humming a little tune to himself. Behind them, Minami was lecturing Kuma about his clothing.

Not long after, they reached the café. Shin pushed the door and walked in, spotting the prominent blond highlights in a corner, where two tables have been pushed together with 2 small sofas. There was someone else on a wheelchair, parked between the two sofas. He could see another 2 heads beside Rika on one of the sofas.

Rika turned around as she heard the door opening. She waved to Shin, and the guys headed over, Minami adjusting his hair at an alarming speed. Noda put a smile on his face. Uchi tugged at his shirt.

The girl in the wheelchair moved back slightly so the boys could get into the small cubicle. Before Minami got in, he smiled to the girl on the wheelchair and slid her carefully back into her place, before stepping over the sofa to sit down. The girl smiled shyly, and nodded thanks.

"Sorry we're late…" Shin said as the 5 crammed into the sofa opposite the girls.

"It's alright, everyone takes beer here right?" The boys nodded, Uchi having a surprised expression on his face as he watched Rika place her order with the bartender.

Shin took the time to survey her friends. The girl on the extreme right was very much alike Rika, with even spikier hair and heavy makeup, complete with a spiked choker, leather jacket and small skull tattoo on her collarbone, disappearing halfway into her spaghetti top. The next was the complete opposite. She was the typical Japanese high school girl, with curled hair, pinkish makeup and the school uniform they never seem to get out of. The last girl on the wheelchair was very quiet, her slightly wavy hair falling to her waist. She donned a white long sleeved top and a matching long skirt.

If people had seen them individually, no one would have thought of them as friends, perhaps except for Rika and the heavy punk gear girl.

The 'typical Japanese high school' girl eyed each one of them carefully. The heavy punk gear girl pinched her arm.

"Ow! Aya-chan, what was that for?"

The heavy punk girl smirked, "You should see your own face in a mirror. That was a totally epic expression."

"Aya-chan—"

Rika whacked her on the head. "Shut up, both of you! Goddamn it, Miyuki, you're the one who asked for this…"

The cute girl stuck out her tongue at Rika and then smiled at the boys, "Hello! My name is Sasamoto Miyuki, pleased to meet you!"

"Tachibana Ayaka," The punk girl nodded slightly, unsmiling.

"Well, I'll introduce myself again, Saruwatari Rika here."

The wheelchair bound girl's voice was nearly a whisper, "Akimoto Chiyo."

"Alright, I'll start. Minami Youichi!" Minami raised a hand and flashed his supposedly 'ladies' smile'.

"Uchiyama Haruhiko desu, you can call me Uchi." Uchi was trying to act cool again.

Noda smiled and nodded, before introducing himself. "Noda Takeshi!"

Kuma had to put down his hotdog before he could say anything. He swallowed hard before saying, "Kumai Teruo."

Everyone turned to Shin, who did have his signature bored look on, and the other guys mentally face-palmed.

"Sawada Shin," he said monotonously.

An uneasy silence set in after that. Ayaka whispered rather prominently, "I'm wasting my time…"

Just then the drinks arrived, and Rika was getting out her wallet. Shin quickly took out his and handed over some money before she could even open hers. "Here, my treat."

Riko laughed, "Arigatou, Sawada-kun, you youngster have a good night!"

Rika met Shin's eyes and nodded a thanks. The girl called Miyuki suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! Wait! I've seen you guys somewhere before!"

"Eh?"

"Chiyo, remember that day when we went to the ramen store?"

"…the shop owner was passing out photocopies of a newspaper report…"

"Yes! And then I think you guys walked past, I so wanted your autographs!" Miyuki was nearly bouncing in her seat. Kuma became quiet. Chiyo seemed to notice something and shot Miyuki a look.

An uneasy silence settled over the group again, but was quickly broken by Uchi. "Miyuki-chan, instead of autographs, let's exchange cell phone numbers!"

"Ah! Yes, yes…" Minami whipped out his phone in a flash. He turned to Chiyo first. "Chiyo-chan, if you please."

Chiyo raised her head shyly and looked at Minami. Since just now when he helped her she had found him to be a rather nice person. She opened her handbag slowly with shaking fingers and passed her phone to him, and took his. She glanced across the tables; everyone was passing their phones around, all except Shin sitting in the corner.

"Oi, Shin," Noda nudged Shin, whispering. "This chance is almost once in a lifetime! They're Yamada girls and they aren't picky that we're from Shirokin!"

"….your point is?"

Noda's face fell. "Nee, Shin-chan, I really don't get you sometimes. Do you already have someone you like?"

Shin felt his face grow slightly hot, and took a drink of beer. "Shut up, go enjoy yourself…"

"Shin—"

"Noda-kun, Sawada-kun, what are you two whispering about?" Miyuki asked.

"Nothing. I forgot my phone today, sorry everyone," Shin saw Uchi narrow his eyes. Well, it was a big fat lie. His phone was sitting comfortably in his back pocket, but he was nowhere near interested in getting these girls' phone numbers, however hard they were to come by. He settled back into the sofa and watched as the night carried on.

No one seemed really bothered that he was there, considering the girls had already found someone to talk to. Minami had somehow started a conversation with Chiyo, who seemed shy but not unhappy about the attention. Noda was chatting with Ayaka about some weird band he's never heard of before, and Miyuki had somehow caught Kuma's attention, the both of them talking about some dessert shops around.

Uchi was having a rather animated conversation with Rika, and Shin sat up slightly straighter. Rika was in a continuous fit of laughter, but suddenly her face was serious as she leaned forward and whispered into Uchi's ear. Shin couldn't hear anything, but the next moment, Uchi had an embarrassed look on his face, and was nodding apologetically and muttering some things Shin couldn't overhear either. Rika smiled lightly and said a quick "Sorry".

Shin found himself joining in the conversations now. He didn't know why but suddenly he knew the band that Noda was talking about. He's been to the shop that Kuma was rambling on about. He laughed along with the joke that Uchi told everyone, and his eyes met Rika's countless times that night, though he didn't really take notice. Somehow, by the end of that night, they had arranged a karaoke session the next week.

Kuma yawned and looked at his watch. "AH!? Damnnit, I should've been home an hour ago. Gomen, minna, I have to go!" He hurried out in shouts of "bye!" and "remember the karaoke next week!" The others left in twos or threes after, Ayaka and Miyuki taking Chiyo home before heading back. Noda, Minami and Uchi left after that, after draining another can of beer. There was only Rika and Shin left.

She quickly brushed all the cans together and took a few to the bin in the back room; Shin helped her carry the rest. After that, they bade goodnight to Riko and started walking back to their building.

Shin wanted to ask her what she had said to Uchi, but felt rather embarrassed about it. He decided against it later. They walked home in silence, and just before Rika went up to her apartment, she handed a small black phone to Shin.

"I haven't gotten yours, and I see your phone, don't try to get out of it," She smiled slyly. Shin sighed and took out his phone from his back pocket. After they exchanged phone numbers, Rika suddenly held up her phone and took a candid shot of Shin.

"Oi! What was that for?!" He asked, slightly annoyed. Rika stuck out her tongue, and burst into laughter as she reviewed the photo. Shin tried to snatch the phone over for a look, but she ran up the stairs before he could, still laughing. He gave a defeated sigh, and walked into his apartment, not knowing what to feel about the evening.

-=-=-=-=-=-

**AN: omigosh I just realized I am no good at writing about goukons, single dates are so much easier! And sorry to disappoint some of you, but I didn't plan this to be a shinkumi fic, though there might be some nuggets here and there, it isn't really a ShinKumi fic. Gomenasai!**


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